The process of producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (1234yf) from 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233xf) through a fluorination reaction is useful as a method for producing 1234yf because 1233xf can be easily produced from chlorine-containing compounds, such as 1,1,1,2,3-pentachloropropane (240db) or 1,1,2,3-tetrachloropropene (1230xa).
However, in the process of converting 1233xf into 1234yf through a gas-phase fluorination reaction, the conversion into 1234yf in the reaction is low; therefore, the reaction often requires a large production facility, a facility or process of recycling unreacted raw materials, and the like, thereby increasing the production costs.
Further, a previously known method for producing 1234yf specifies that hydrogen chloride produced as a by-product is separated, i.e., the hydrogen chloride as a by-product is not returned to the reactor; such separation of hydrogen chloride requires another facility separated from the reactor. Moreover, the method must be performed under severe conditions, such as a high pressure condition of about 0.5 MPaG or more, a low temperature condition of about −40° C. or less, and the like, thereby increasing the load and costs of equipment.
Further, when 1233xf is converted to 1234yf by a gas-phase fluorination reaction, 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (245cb) is obtained as a by-product in which hydrogen fluoride is added to the desired product. 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane can be returned to 1234yf through dehydrofluorination; however, this requires another reaction step for dehydrofluorination, or a dehydrofluorination step after returning the by-product to the original reactor. Therefore, improvement is necessary in terms of equipment costs, energy costs, and production efficiency.